Alexander Ranch Awarded Audubon Licensed Standing for Chook-Pleasant Habitat Measures
Solar Metropolis, Kans. — The 6,780-acre Alexander Ranch in south-central Kansas, owned and operated by Brian Alexander, is a recipient of the Audubon Licensed bird-friendly habitat designation from the Nationwide Audubon Society. The ranch offers grassland habitat for one of many remaining populations of Lesser Prairie-Hen, an imperiled species just lately listed as federally threatened in Kansas.
Alexander enrolled his working ranch within the Audubon Conservation Ranching program, a wildlife habitat effort working to stabilize declining grassland chicken populations. His property lies throughout the Pink Hills area, an ecologically important and largely intact panorama of mixed-grass prairie. As an Audubon Licensed bird-friendly habitat, Alexander is catering his grassland administration to enhance habitat circumstances primarily for the Lesser Prairie-Hen and Northern Bobwhite. Lesser Prairie-Hen populations are separated right into a pair of distinct inhabitants segments. South-central to western Kansas populations lie throughout the Northern Distinct Inhabitants Section, formally listed as threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in November.
Alexander says the give attention to a pair of upland species carries advantages to many different birds. “These are umbrella species, so whereas they might get the eye, they’re flagship representatives of our complete grassland group.” Different chicken beneficiaries from this administration method embody the Dickcissel, Grasshopper Sparrow, Loggerhead Shrike, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, and Upland Sandpiper.
By by no means grazing greater than half of a pasture, Alexander manages his herd in a means that at all times leaves standing cowl for birds and different wildlife. The grazing can also be good in the long term, because the herd disturbance helps replenish the realm’s soils, promotes the expansion of latest plant species, and ends in completely different habitat constructions for an assortment of birds and different wildlife. “The perfect habitat employees on the Alexander Ranch have hooves, mentioned Chris Wilson, Audubon Conservation Ranching program director, “Managed rotational grazing is the important thing to sustaining the open, numerous habitat the place Lesser Prairie-Chickens can thrive,” he mentioned.
By assembly all Audubon Conservation Ranching program necessities – third-party verified – beef produced on the ranch can carry the Audubon Licensed bird-friendly seal. This package deal label acknowledges product origin as lands managed for birds and biodiversity.
For extra details about Audubon Conservation Ranching in Kansas, contact Chris Wilson at 816-824-9691.
About Audubon Conservation Ranching
A wildlife habitat initiative of the Nationwide Audubon Society with a singular market entrance, Audubon Conservation Ranching’s goal is to stabilize declining grassland chicken populations in partnership with ranchers – on whose land 95 p.c of grassland birds reside. Audubon Conservation Ranching’s enrollment contains over 100 ranches, protecting over 3.5 million acres which have earned standing as Audubon Licensed bird-friendly land. Incentivizing this habitat work for birds and biodiversity are customers with an urge for food for conservation, who help it by buying merchandise grazed on these lands. Buyers see a particular package deal designation – the Audubon Licensed bird-friendly seal – that units these merchandise aside. For extra info, go to Audubon.org/ranching.
About Audubon
The Nationwide Audubon Society protects birds and the locations they want, in the present day, and tomorrow, all through the Americas utilizing science, advocacy, schooling, and on-the-ground conservation. Audubon’s state applications, nature facilities, chapters, and companions have an unparalleled wingspan that reaches tens of millions of individuals annually to tell, encourage, and unite numerous communities in conservation motion. Since 1905, Audubon’s imaginative and prescient has been a world through which folks and wildlife thrive. Audubon is a nonprofit conservation group. Be taught extra at www.audubon.org and @audubonsociety.